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"A Change Is Gonna Come"

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OER PROJECT: WH/ LESSON8.7OPENER“A CHANGE IS GONNA COME”Unless otherwise noted, this work is licensed under CC BY 4.0. Credit: “A Change is Gonna Come”, OER Project, www.oerproject.com/1PurposeMusic can serve as a form of expression and an agent of social change. By analyzing a song from the American civil rights movement, you’ll explore themes relating to liberation. Then, you’ll predict how these themes might extend to other parts of the world.Process1.Examine the lyrics below. If you can, listen to the songand follow along. “A Change Is Gonna Come” I was born by the river in a little tentOh and just like the river I've been running ever sinceIt's been a long, a long time comingBut I know a change gonna come, oh yes it will.It's been too hard living but I'm afraid to dieCause I don't know what's up there beyond the skyIt's been a long, a long time comingBut I know a change gonna come, oh yes it will.I go to the movie and I go downtownSomebody keep telling me don't hang aroundIt's been a long, a long time comingBut I know a change gonna come, oh yes it will.Then I go to my brotherAnd I say brother help me pleaseBut he winds up knockin' meBack down on my knees.There been times that I thought I couldn't last for longBut now I think I'm able to carry onIt's been a long, a long time comingBut I know a change gonna come, oh yes it will.—Sam Cooke, 1964 (Lyrics from: https://www.archives.gov/exhibits/documented-rights/exhibit/section4/detail/change-is-gonna-come-lyrics.html)
OER PROJECT: WH / LESSON8.7OPENER“A CHANGE IS GONNA COME”22.Consider the historical context of the song: It was written and recorded during the civil rights movement in the United States. The song reflects Sam Cooke’s personal experiences with racism, along with the political and social climate at the time. In particular, the song is a response to Cooke being turned away from a whites-only motel in Louisiana. 3.Why do you think “A Change Is Gonna Come” became a popular anthem of the civil rights movement? Explain.4.Make a prediction: What other parts of the world might have experienced liberation movements in this time period? How do you think those movements might have been similar to or different from the civil rights movement in the United States?